Toothbrush with dispensable cleansing pad



May l1, 1954 w. sHERwlN TOOTHBRUSH WITH DISPENSABLE CLEANSING PAD FiledNOV. 7, 1950 IN VEN TOR.

Patented May 1l, 1954 UNITED STATE PTENT OFFICE 'roo'rnansnWITHnrsPENsABLE cLnANsING PAD Lawrence W. Sherwin, Syracuse, N. Y.Application November 7, 1950, Serial No. 194,483

(Cl. -2l0) 4 Claims. l

This invention relates to improvements in tooth brushes and the like,and more particularly to that type of tooth brush employing a toothcleansing member or pad intended to be disposed oi after each toothcleansing operation.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to employ a disposable cleansingmember. However, such brushes have not received any appreciableacceptance due to the relatively high cost of the disposable pad orbrush element,` the complicated structure for mounting it on the handleportion or" the brush, and the lack. of any substantial sanitationadvantage.

This invention has as an object a tooth brush of the type referred toembodying a structural arrangement by which the disposable cleansing padis quickly and conveniently mounted on the handle portion of the brushand ejected therefrom use without touching the pad.

The invention further contemplates a cleansing l pad which is economicalto manufacture but which is particularly efficient in cleansing theteeth. These pads are of such a nature that they may be sterilized andindividually wrapped with a protective covering which is removed afterthe pad been mounted in the handle, whereby the pad presented for use isin a sterile condition.

The invention consists in the novel features and in combinations andconstructions hereinaiter set forth and claimed.

in describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in allthe views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of side oi the brush.

Figure 2 is a View, similar to Figure 1, with the pad slide movedoutwardly from the pad retaining slot for the ejection of the pad fromthe handle and the ejected pad shown on its side.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33, Figure l.

Figure i is an enlarged View of the left hand portion of Figure 2.

igure 5 is a view taken on line 5 5, Figure l.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a cleansing pad its protectivewrapping.

The brush consists of an elongated handle poriii, in one end of which,as in the head portion ji, there is formed a slot l2 extending inwardlyfrom the outer end of the handle. This slot may be of T-iormation, orprovided at its opposite sides with ribs l 3 to frictionally hold thepad during the cleansing operation. A slide member M is mounted in theslot l2 for reciprothe bristle or pad cation' therein. The handle IQ isformed with a lengthwise extending passage in which there is slidablymounted a rod or stem I 5, one end of which is connected to the slideld, and the opposlte end to an actuating member l l. As shown in Figure3, one end of the stem l5 is bent outwardly, as at i8, and secured tothe actuator il, the confronting surface of the handle being formed withan elongated slot I9 in which the bent portion i8 is permitted to slidelengthwise of the handle.

The cleansing member Z is in the nature of a rectangular pad formed offelted material. This pad is proportioned so that the transverse Widthof the pad is substantially the same as the width or" the bottom of theT slot it, whereupon the .ribs i3 irictionally engage opposite sides ofthe pad, as shown in Figure 5, and in this manner the pad is firmlyretained in the slot. The pad is adapted in lengthwise dimension tov bepositioned upon the slide iii, and the ends of the slide are bentupwardly toward the open side of the T slot for engagement with the endsof the pad 2i?. Rearward movement of the actuator Il and the ide iteiiects movement of the pad into' the T siot. To aid in thismovern'ent,the outer ends of the ribs i3 are chamfered as at 22, Figure e. Afterthe teeth have been brushed and cleaned, forward movement of theactuator il toward the head portion ii effects ejectrnent of the pad 29from the T siot and as the handle is turned over, the pad drops from theslide i4. With this arrangement, the used pad is ejected from the handlewithout the necessity of touching it.

I have found that a pad made from a fibrous mixture containing from 30to 40% wool ber; 5G to 60% cotton ber, and 5 to 15% rayon ber, isparticularly eicient for the tooth cleansing operation. The pads 2! arepreferably sterilized at ie time of manufacture and while sterile arewrapped with protective sheet material, such as cellophane, and thewrapped pad is provided with a tear tape 25, see Figure 6. rThe Wrappedpad is placed in the slide l and moved into the T slot l2. Thereupon,the protective Wrapper is removed from that portion of the pad extendingfrom the handle by manipulation of the tear tape 25, as will be wellunderstood. In this manner, the pad is presented for use in sterilecondition and after use, the pad is ejected from the handle portion asdescribed, When not in use, the handle portion may be kept in anantiseptic solution for any extended time Without damage due to the factthat there is no brush or cleansing pad present to be adversely affectedby the solution.

What I claim is:

1. A tooth brush comprising a handle formed with an open-ended slot Tshaped in cross section and extending axially inward from one end of thehandle, a slide member movable into and out of said slot, said slidemember having portions adapted to detaohably engage opposite ends of acleansing pad and being operable to move the pad into and out of saidslot upon reoiprocation of the slide member, the sides of said slot`riotionally engaging said pad to retain the same in the slot, and anactuating member having a portion slidably mounted on the exterior ofthe handle to efect reciprocation of said slide member.

2. A tooth brush comprising a handle formed with an open-ended slot Tshaped in cross section and extending inwardly from one end of thehandle, a dispensable cleansing pad having a base portion adapted tofrictionally engage the sides of said slot, said handle being formedwith an axial passage extending from the inner end of said slot towardthe opposite end of the handle, a slide member mounted for reciprooationin said slot and having a portion extending toward the open side of theslot and adapted to engage the cleansing pad, said slide member beingoperable to move said pad into and out of the slot upon reciprocation ofthe slide member, a stem slidably mounted in said passage and beingconnected at one end to said slide member, and an actuator arrangedexteriorly of the handle and connected to the opposite end of said stemto effect reciprocation of said stem and slide member.

3. A tooth brush comprising a handle portion formed with an open-endedslot "r shaped in cross section and extending axially inward from oneend of the handle, a slide member mounted for movement into and out ofsaid slot, said slide member having portions extending toward the openside of said slot and adapted to engage opposite ends of a cleansing padand being operable to move the pad into and out of said slot uponreciprooation of the slide member, and an actuating member having aportion arranged exteriorly of the handle and movable lengthwise 4thereof for eecting reciprocation of the slide member.

4. A tooth brush comprising a handle portion formed with an open-endedslot extending axially inward from one end of the handle, a slide membermounted for movement into and out of said slot, said slide member havingportions adapted to detachably engage opposite ends of a cleansing padand being operable to move the pad into and out of said slot uponreciprocation of the slide member, an actuating member having a portionarranged exteriorly of the handle and movable lengthwise thereof forelecting reciprocation of the slide member, said slot having a pair ofribs spaced outwardly from the bottom wall of the slot and extendinginwardly thereover, the ends of said ribs adjacent the open end of theslot diverging outwardly forming a divergent throat for guiding thecleansing pad into the slot between said ribs upon inward movement ofthe slide member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 403,350 Horsey May 14, 1889 770,588 Koch Sept. 20, 19041,407,214 Osborn Feb. 21, 1922 1,421,911 Cohen July 4, 1922 1,558,225Boeker Oct. 20, 1925 1,635,924 Buckley July l2, 1927 1,705,542 RyserMar. 19, 1929 1,711,621 Temple May 7, 1929 1,729,167 Knapp Sept. 24,1929 1,879,552 Silva et al. Sept. 27, 1932 2,092,438 Wilt Sept. 7, 19372,326,632 Friedman Aug. 10, 1943 2,435,394 Hawley Feb. 3, 1943 2,517,029Ridner Aug. 1, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,932 GreatBritain Sept. 15, 1910

